Do you own parrots? If yes, then you need to have a HEPA filter system in your home.
Human Allergies and Autoimmune Disease
As someone with an autoimmune disease with primarily pulmonary symptoms, I am considered a high risk to live with birds, especially “Old World/”dusty” birds.
The first conversation I had with my Avian Vet was about my personal health and safety due to my autoimmune disease. The Vet was particularly concerned with my owning a “dusty” bird (a cockatiel), and being exposed to and breathing in powdered keratin (sloughed off during preening/shaking off/etc.).
I told him that I have stayed at hotels where the pillows and/or comforter blankets were made with goose down feathers, and that I’ve had severe allergic reactions from them. He told me along with the feathers themselves, the dander from the powdered keratin can irritate the human lungs, eyes, and skin. In my personal case, breathing in the powder through the bed linens stirred up a terrible reaction, causing wheezing, coughing, body hives, swollen eyes, and itchy tongue/throat. (This is 100% why I always have to request before or during any hotel stays to have the linens and pillows swapped out for foam or cotton-filled ones).
“Old World” versus “New World” Parrots
This keratin is a fine powder that’s released while molting, preening, or just existing (basically). It’s the same material in birds that makes up their skin, beak, and feathers, that makes up our own human skin, hair, and nails.
If you’re allergic to “down feathers”, you’re probably going to be allergic (or have allergy-like symptoms) to your “dusty” parrot.
Dusty, or Old World, parrots, are the: Cockatoos (which includes Cockatiels), Lovebirds, and African Gray Parrots. These birds most commonly live in the wild in these continents: Europe, Australia, Africa, and Asia.
“New World” parrots, on the other hand, are your: Conures (especially Sun Conures), and Macaws (Blue and Golds are most susceptible) that hail from South America.
South American parrot species are highly sensitive to airborne irritants. Over time, these parrots can easily inhale the dusty keratin and develop “pulmonary hypersensitivity syndrome.” Housing both a “New World” and an “Old World” species in the same home can be a serious issue without proper ventilation and removal of airborne irritants.
Pulmonary Hypersensitivity Syndrome in Parrots
In the early stages of pulmonary hypersensitivity syndrome, the bird may appear normal, but only wheeze when excited. In a later stage, dyspnea (difficulty in breathing), a cough, and a bluish tinge to the facial skin (cyanosis) can develop. Hypoxia or under oxygenation of tissues leads to an increase in the number of circulating red blood cells (RBC) termed Polycythemia as well as an increased viscosity in the blood so that it does not flow normally. Subsequent immuno-suppression may lead to Aspergillosis, a deadly respiratory fungal disease.
“Pulmonary Hypersensitivity Syndrome”, written by Dr. Nemetz at http://www.thebirdclinic.com
The recommended way to prevent this from occurring is to house Old World and New World parrots in separate air spaces (separate rooms).
Unfortunately, there is no cure for Pulmonary Hypersensitivity Syndrome, but some drugs help with symptoms when treated and caught early enough. However, many bird owners don’t notice the signs and symptoms early enough to be treated.
HEPA Filters
HEPA filters are designed to trap indoor air ultrafine particulates before they are recirculated into the air we breathe (birds and humans, alike).
When researching the right HEPA filter air purifier for your home, ensure that it is a “True HEPA” system and not a “HEPA type” system. True HEPA air filter systems are able to remove and filter 99.97% of airborne particles that are 0.3 microns in size (that’s super, super, small!)
Many states, such as California (where I live), won’t even sell or allow online purchases of air purifier systems that don’t meet CA air quality standards. (I was doing some Amazon research one day on these filters, and many of them said I was not allowed to add them to my cart to purchase due to this strict law in CA).
True HEPA filters can remove: dust, pollen, lint, pet dander, and other small household particles. These, if ran most or all hours of the day/night, can help you and your bird’s/birds’ health.
Here’s a stock image of the Levoit model I am currently using in my own home. It has “smart” app features that I couldn’t make work on my phone/wifi/bluetooth system in my home. But the actual features it has are great for my home’s needs. There are many options out there, so do your research before buying one. The filters, on average, need replacing around every 6 months, so you may want to buy an extra filter to keep on hand when the indicator light goes off.
*I do not receive any form of compensation by you clicking on this link. I use this product in my home and just want to share it with you
Stay safe, and keep those homes purified for long, and healthy lives!
